Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 11 mean?

Psalm 11 does not have a clear context. It’s possible that David wrote this while threatened by the forces of king Saul (Psalm 18). Another possibility is that this was part of his reaction to the rebellion of his son, Absalom (Psalm 3). The general theme is that godly people can trust the Lord, so they should stand firm against evil. If God-honoring authority is lost, there is nothing more good people can do.

The opening lines of the psalm are a rhetorical question. Whether through the advice of his counselors, or his own fear, David is being tempted to flee in terror. His response, in essence, is to say, “how could I do that?” David realizes that godly authority—in this case, his role as king—cannot be lost without catastrophic consequences. The third verse of this psalm has been applied to everything from culture, to family, to government, and even to personal faith. If the most crucial, important building blocks are dissolved, there simply is nothing to be done to avoid disaster (Psalm 11:1–3).

Contrasting the urge to run away, David celebrates the fact that God is sovereign and aware of everything. He knows that God cares deeply for His people and for righteousness. The psalm closes with David’s prayer for God’s judgment to fall on evil people and a hopeful anticipation of one day seeing the face of God (Psalm 11:4–7).

Chapter Context
This psalm is another depiction of David in trouble. It may have been written when he fled from Saul’s court and was hiding in the wilderness (Psalm 18). Or David may have written it when his son Absalom was pursuing him (Psalm 3). Whatever the occasion, this psalm expresses David’s trust in the Lord as all-knowing and righteous.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. In the Lord I take refuge;how can you say to my soul,”Flee like a bird to your mountain,

It’s not entirely clear what prompted David to write this passage. Clearly, there is danger at hand, presenting him with the temptation to run away. The image is not of a tactical retreat, but of panic and self-preservation. It’s also not obvious if this is advice David was being given by his royal counselors or merely the tempting of his own heart. In either case, the urge is to react to danger like a startled bird: fleeing to a high place.

Depending on when David wrote these words, it might have been Saul and his forces pursuing him (1 Samuel 18:8–9). It may also have been David’s rebellious son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:10–12). David used common sense to escape danger (1 Samuel 19:11–12; 2 Samuel 15:13–17) in dealing with both of those enemies. However, he did not abandon everything in a moment of abject fear. Whether coming from fellow Israelites or his own human nature, the call to “just run” is a natural response to some kinds of danger.

In contrast, David demonstrated a God-empowered response. He declared, “In the LORD I take refuge.” Instead of fleeing to the mountains, he chose to flee to the Lord.

Psalm 121 is a song that pilgrims sang as they traveled to Jerusalem to worship. The group’s leader affirmed what David knew; namely, the Lord protects His people. The leader exclaimed, “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” (Psalm 121:1). The answer comes immediately: “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:2). The Creator is the believer’s most secure refuge.

Psalm 11:1–3 addresses David’s temptation to run from his enemies. This suggestion either comes from his advisors or his own fears. His urge is to flee quickly for safety to the mountains because his enemies are well armed and ready to kill him. However, David testifies that the Lord provides his protection. He refuses to allow the nation to suffer the devastating loss of its king. This establishes the psalm’s perspective on how the Lord’s people should respond to the erosion of godly authority.

Verse 2.for behold, the wicked bend the bow;they have fitted their arrow to the stringto shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

The temptation to flee to the mountains for safety (Psalm 11:1) was real, because David’s enemy was well-armed and ready to attack. Both king Saul (1 Samuel 18:8–9) and David’s own son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:10–12) presented real threats to his life; this psalm may reflect one of those experiences. While some interpret the arrows as metaphors for slanderous lies, it seems best to interpret the reference literally. David’s enemies hated him and every righteous person and wanted to destroy them.

Centuries earlier, Moses had sent twelve men into Canaan to spy the land. Ten returned with a negative report. They counseled against entering Canaan, noting that giants lived there. The other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, advised the people of Israel to invade the land and possess it, because God had promised the land to them (Numbers 13). In a crisis, believers can either focus on their obstacles or on God, who is able to subdue any enemy. A lack of faith in God caused Israel to wander an additional four decades in the wilderness (Numbers 14:20–23), and a lack of faith in God causes believers to wander from Him (Hebrews 4:7–11).

Verse 3. if the foundations are destroyed,what can the righteous do?”

This verse is often cited when referring to the collapse of godly authority. The Hebrew phrasing here can be taken in more than one way. This is most often translated as asking “if—or when—this happens, what can good people then do?” Another possibility is to render this as asking “…what have good people accomplished?” In either case, this verse warns of catastrophic results when fundamental principles are destroyed. In David’s immediate case, this refers to his role as Israel’s king and the consequences of abandoning that role. In a more general sense, it speaks to the ruin a society will face when the most basic aspects of godliness are removed.

David knew what would happen if the enemy triumphed. Because he was Israel’s king, if the enemy succeeded, the nation’s very foundations would be destroyed. Law and order grounded in righteousness and justice, under the headship of the godly king, would crumble. Evil and chaos would ensue. What could the righteous do in such a situation? Of course, David believed he would prevail. He was sure that law and order would continue. His trust was in the Lord (Psalm 11:4), therefore he was confident the enemy would not triumph.

Years later, God allowed Babylon to carry Israel into captivity because of her idolatry and neglect of the Sabbath. In both a symbolic and literal sense, the foundations were destroyed—including the demolition of the temple from its cornerstones. But in his perfect timing, God raised up Ezra to return to Jerusalem and lay the foundation (Ezra 3). If doctrinal error destroys a church’s foundation of truth, believers must restore the foundation before any healing can happen. Congregations must heed the Lord’s admonitions to be and do what He desires (Revelation 2—3).

Verse 4. The Lord is in his holy temple;the Lord ‘s throne is in heaven;his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

In the prior passage, David rejected the urge to run away from danger (Psalm 11:1–3). His reason for remaining is expressed here: confidence that God is still sovereign and all-knowing (Psalm 9:11–12).

Lucifer, a light-bearing angel, rebelled against God. He aspired to topple the Lord from His throne and seize it as his own. He discovered that the throne belongs exclusively to the Lord and no one can usurp Him. The prophet Isaiah caught a glimpse of God upon His throne in heaven and heard seraphim declare His holiness (Isaiah 6).

David was confident his enemies could not topple him from his earthly throne, because the Lord God was seated on His heavenly throne. The enemies may have been powerful, but the Lord is all-powerful. Furthermore, nothing escapes His all-seeing eyes. He could see plainly what the wicked were doing. They mistakenly believed their evil doings were secret (Psalm 11:2), but the Lord saw their wickedness and would judge them.

Context Summary
Psalm 11:4–7 explains David’s reason for rejecting the temptation to flee to the mountains. Faced with danger, the natural urge is to run and hide. Instead, David’s choice is to trust in God. He sees the Lord as sovereign, fully in control of the situation David faced. He believes the Lord tests the righteous but despises the wicked and will judge them. Someday the righteous will see the Lord’s face.

Verse 5. The Lord tests the righteous,but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

At times, God may bring tests and trials to good people to test them: to prove the genuineness of their faith. This does not come in the form of temptation to sin (James 1:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13). It can, however, come in ways that challenge our trust in God and His involvement in the situation. David’s troubles and God’s response strengthened his reliance on the Lord (Psalm 3:4).

The apostle Peter explains that the testing of believers is designed to show the genuineness of their faith. Peter writes that “the tested genuineness of your [the believer’s] faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). The story of Job shows clearly that the Lord allows trials to make the believer better, not bitter. The Lord allowed Satan to afflict Job, and so Job underwent the loss of livestock, children, and his health. But when the trials lifted, Job’s perspective of the Lord was clearer and his rewards were many (Job 42).

In contrast, the hardship God sends to those who hate or reject Him is aimed at breaking them. That pain is meant to either turn them to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) or prove their total depravity and sinfulness (Proverbs 29:1). Echoing other parts of Scripture, this verse notes that God hates both evil and those who perpetuate violence (Proverbs 6:16–19). Classic examples of this are the pharaoh of the book of Exodus (Exodus 1:22), and the Herod of Jesus’ infancy (Mathew 2:16), both of whom murdered infants and were subsequently destroyed (Exodus 14:30–31; Matthew 2:19–20).

Verse 6. Let him rain coals on the wicked;fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

David prays for vengeance on his enemies—not through his own hands, but from God (Romans 12:19–20). The imagery he uses here is dramatic, referring to raining fire and sulfur.

Centuries earlier God had done exactly that in His wrath against Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord rained fire and sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah because of their inhabitants’ wickedness. When Abraham looked at where Sodom and Gomorrah used to be, all he saw was billows of smoke (Genesis 19:28).

In Psalm 18 David alludes to hailstones and coals of fire bringing judgment on his enemy (Psalm 18:12–13). The Lord used these catastrophes to deliver David from Saul. In Psalm 11:6 he indicates that his enemies will have these disasters as “the portion of their cup.” The cup of the Lord is often used in connection with His judgment of evildoers. Revelation 14:10 warns that whoever worships the beast and its image “also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger.”

Verse 7. For the Lord is righteous;he loves righteous deeds;the upright shall behold his face.

While God clearly must judge sin and evil, He is also loving. Those attributes are not opposed to each other, and they cannot be separated. Because the Lord is righteous, He cannot allow the wicked to go unpunished. Nor will He allow those who are evil and sinful to be with Him in eternity.

At Mount Sinai, when God delivered the Ten Commandments to Moses, He commanded the people to stand off, as the message was one of judgment and wrath (Hebrews 12:18–21). When Christ came, the message given at Mount Calvary was “draw near” (Hebrews 12:22–24). All who trust in Jesus as Savior are reconciled to God (John 3:16), and they receive the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Having been made righteous, believers naturally desire to lead righteous lives, and the Lord loves their righteous deeds.

The wicked will be separated from the Lord throughout eternity (John 3:36), but those who honor God will be with Him forever. The apostle John affirmed this wonderful prospect. In 1 John 3:2 he writes, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

End of Psalm 11

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